1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automated vehicle wash systems, and more specifically to a new and improved blower for drying such vehicles and to a method of using the blower.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Automated apparatus for washing automotive vehicles have become popular as a way of quickly and efficiently washing a vehicle. The systems have assumed numerous configurations including tunnel-type washes wherein a plurality of wash apparatus are longitudinally aligned for sequential washing of a vehicle that is moved therealong. Another common form of automatic system is a gantry-type system wherein the vehicle remains stationary and the wash apparatus is reciprocated back and forth across the vehicle. In a gantry-type wash system, different wash operations are performed in each pass of the apparatus along the length of the vehicle.
In any automated wash system, however, it is desirable to dry the vehicle after it has been washed and rinsed. The conventional systems for drying vehicles is an air blower. Such blowers have assumed numerous configurations with the most common blowers being fixed relative to the vehicle to direct air horizontally at the sides of the vehicle and downwardly onto the top of the vehicle. As with the washing of the vehicle, the vehicles are moveable relative to the blowers so the drying occurs as the vehicle is relatively moved past the blower.
Most blow dryers for automotive vehicles are inefficient and therefore unsatisfactory in that the air being blown onto the vehicle is counterproductive as air from one blower is directed in an opposite direction to air from another blower and the liquid particles on the vehicle are not moved off the surface of the vehicle.
More recently, rotary blow-drying nozzles have been mounted on fans above a vehicle so that concentrated fan-shaped streams of air are blown on the vehicle either in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the vehicle or in a reciprocating pattern. With these blow dryers, there is again no conscience attempt to move the liquid particles off the surface of the vehicle but rather the air is simply randomly blown at the vehicle resulting in an inefficient drying of the vehicle.
In a rotary blow dryer of the type described above, there is typically a large fan having a housing with an inlet and an outlet. The rotary nozzle is rotatably mounted on the fan housing at the outlet from the housing and rotated about a vertical axis with a drive actuator mounted externally of the nozzle and fan housing. In one such arrangement, the actuator is connected to the nozzle with a belt that extends around the nozzle such that operation of the actuator rotates the nozzle through the interconnection with the belt. Such arrangements are relatively expensive and aesthetically displeasing.
As will be appreciated, there is a need for an improved blow dryer for automotive car wash systems and also for an efficient system for using the blow dryers to remove liquid particles from the vehicle to obtain the desired drying of the vehicle.
The blow dryer of the present invention is used in a blow-drying system that uses a plurality of the blow dryers mounted above an automotive vehicle. Each blow dryer includes a fan housing with an inlet and an outlet and a rotatable nozzle mounted on the fan housing at the outlet. The rotatable nozzle includes an opening through which air can be concentrated in a fan-shaped stream and directed toward the vehicle at a selected angle.
The drive shaft of a rotary actuator is mounted in the blow dryer along the axis of rotation of the nozzle and interiorly thereof so as to be concealed from view and to efficiently and economically provide a system for selectively rotating the nozzle. The rotary actuator is equipped with adjustable stop means for limiting the movement of the actuator in reverse directions so the associated nozzle can be selectively rotated into any desired angle relative to the underlying vehicle.
In accordance with the method of drying an automotive vehicle using the blower of the present invention, the nozzles of a plurality of blowers are oriented relative to the vehicle such that the conical streams of air emanating therefrom are complementary in moving the liquid particles on the vehicle toward a common side or end of the vehicle. In one embodiment of the invention, a pair of blowers are mounted above the vehicle on opposite sides of a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle with one blower forming a relatively large angle relative to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and the other a relatively small angle. As the blowers are moved relative to the vehicle from one end of the vehicle to the other liquid particles are blown toward one side and one end of the vehicle. When the direction of the blowers are reversed relative to the vehicle, the angles of the blowers are reversed so that liquid particles on the vehicle are moved toward the other side of the vehicle and the opposite end of the vehicle. The result of such an operation is a vehicle surface that is substantially devoid of liquid particles.
In another embodiment of the invention, three blowers are provided above the vehicle with a center blower being aligned with the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and two side blowers in substantial vertical alignment with the sides of the vehicle. The center blower directs a conical stream of air at a 0xc2x0 angle relative to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle while the side blowers direct conical streams of air at an angle toward the center of the vehicle so the three blowers cooperate in moving the liquid particles on the vehicle toward one end of the vehicle while simultaneously blowing liquid particles on the sides of the vehicle downwardly toward the supporting surface of the vehicle.
Other aspects, features and details of the present invention can be more completely understood by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the drawings and from the appended claims.